All-Star Game, July 12, 2011, Chase Field

2011 All-Star Game News Archive - June 2011

The two most recent champions of the Home Run Derby will be teaming up to take another swing. Prince Fielder and David Ortiz were named the first captains Thursday of their respective league's teams for the 2011 State Farm Home Run Derby.

The umpires and official scorers for the 82nd All-Star Game, to be played on Tuesday, July 12, at Chase Field in Phoenix were announced Wednesday by Major League Baseball, with Dale Scott serving as the crew chief and home-plate umpire.

MLB Dream Job winner Mike O'Hara and wingman Ryan Wagner will be heading west for the 2011 All-Star Game, where they'll take to the Fan Cave experience to the swimming pool behind right field at Chase Field.

It has already been assumed that Brian McCann will earn his sixth consecutive All-Star selection in his sixth full Major League season. But this year could certainly be different, because it looks like it will be the first in which McCann is elected to serve as the National League's starting catcher.

The AL East continues to dominate in the polls for starting positions in this year's Midsummer Classic. The top three at each position remained unchanged this week as Boston's Adrian Gonzalez extended his lead over New York's Mark Teixeira while Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is making a strong push for the third outfield spot.

As most stadium polls close and the clock continues to wind down for online voting, the races for many of the starting spots on the National League squad for the 2011 All-Star Game remain tight, though one of the front-runners, perennial All-Star Albert Pujols, is likely to be unavailable because of injury.

Fans have decided the quarterfinal matchups to cut a field of 16 in half, going more old school than one might have imagined, and all 30 Major League Baseball clubs have joined in by having some of their players share favorite All-Star memories.

Joe Curiale and Dolly West, of Humble, Texas, were chosen by Major League Baseball and a panel of celebrity judges to have their wedding at MLB All-Star FanFest on July 12 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

The AL East and the Yankees were already dominating the 2011 All-Star Game voting before this week. Now, another AL East representative has moved into the lead at his respective position, with a starting job on July 12 at Chase Field in Phoenix on the line.

With the release of the first American League All-Star vote totals, Jose Bautista -- who leads everyone in home runs -- also leads everyone in votes, Michael Young is in contention to earn a start at a third different position and former NL first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is in a dogfight.